This invention relates to water quality and more particularly to methods and apparatus for feeding controlled amounts of chemicals such as chelating agents, perfumes, microbiocides and filtration aids to hot tubs, spas, cooling towers, swimming pools, and the like. Particularly this application relates to novel dispensing capsules for such methods. In home swimming pools, and in spas and hot tubs, it is almost always necessary to filter and recirculate the water and to add certain chemicals to aid filtration to improve the quality, appearance, and odor of the water.
This application is concerned with the packaging of such chemicals and will be understood in relationship to the above-cited patents and co-pending application and the related inventions disclosed therein, and as needed disclosed herein to set forth the utility, preferred embodiments, and preferred modes of practicing the invention as claimed herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,914 relates particularly to the method of the invention for treating swimming pool water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,120 relates to methods and apparatus of the invention relating to bathing systems wherein the feeder capsule is placed in the skimmer basket or other "intermediate-velocity chamber" and the chemical is extracted by the flow as water is pumped through the chamber causing the capsule to move about and stir its contents., U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,314 relates to more generic uses of the capsules with air washers, cooling towers, and the like wherein the chemical is extracted by flow; but in a different kind of intermediate-velocity chamber, and further disclosed uses in which the feeder is weighted so that in conditions of no flow, feeding is not just reduced, but substantially cut off, and also uses wherein the flow is generated by random sloshing around in use. Co-pending application Ser. No. 07/093,186 relates to such generic aspects of the invention viewed as methods, while the present application claims embodiments of the feeder capsules of the invention which are novel and uniquely fitted for the practice of the inventions claimed in the above-referenced patents and pending application.